78°F
weather icon Clear

Feds deem driver in bicyclists’ deaths ‘imminent hazard’

A box truck driver authorities said was high on methamphetamine when he plowed into a group of bicyclists near Searchlight, killing five, has been deemed “an imminent hazard to public safety” by a federal agency.

Authorities say Jordan Barson, 45, had nine times the amount of methamphetamine in his system needed to be legally considered impaired at the time of the Dec. 10 crash on U.S. Highway 95, authorities have said.

He faces five counts of DUI resulting in death, two counts of DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm and seven counts of reckless driving, court records show.

Barson had been scheduled to make his initial court appearance Wednesday, Dec. 30, but it was postponed for a second time until Monday, Jan. 4, because he remained in quarantine.

The state has filed a motion to set Barson’s bail at $1 million and establish conditions for his release if bail was posted, which also was continued until Monday.

Killed in the crash were Las Vegas bicyclists Erin Michelle Ray, 39; Gerrard Suarez Nieva, 41; Michael Todd Murray, 57; Aksoy Ahmet, 48; and Tom Trauger, 57. Four others were injured, most seriously Jerome Ducrocq, who remained hospitalized in critical condition last week.

The bicyclists were with a group of about 20 who set out from Henderson to complete the roughly 130-mile Nipton Loop. All of the bicyclists who were killed or injured were seeking cover from the wind and riding behind the group’s safety escort vehicle when the box truck Barson was driving crashed into them, according to a Nevada Highway Patrol report.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said this week that Barson has been deemed “an imminent hazard to public safety” by the agency. A statement from the agency said that Barson had been served with a federal order Dec. 23 barring him from operating any commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Barson holds a commercial driver’s license and was employed by RoadRunner Transport AZ Inc. of Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

The agency said it appears Barson and the transport company were not following federal regulations for transportation using commercial motor vehicles at the time of the crash.

“A subsequent investigation of RoadRunner Transport AZ Inc., found that neither the carrier nor Barson maintained drivers’ records-of-duty status as required by federal regulations,” the agency said in a statement. “FMCSA’s imminent hazard out-of-service order states that Barson’s ‘blatant violations of the federal safety regulations and ongoing and repeated disregard for the safety of the motoring public … substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death to you and (the) motoring public.’”

The agency said Barson and RoadRunner Transport “may be subject to a civil penalty enforcement proceedings brought by FMCSA for violations of the Agency’s safety regulations.”

A message left at a phone number listed in federal records for RoadRunner Transport was not immediately returned Wednesday, Dec. 30.

Boulder City Review Editor Hali Bernstein Saylor contributed to this report.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter. Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.

MOST READ
THE LATEST
BC can ban backyard breeders

Although there is nothing on any city agenda yet, the resolution of the issue of whether pet breeding will be allowed in Boulder City took a huge step forward last week as Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford released an official opinion on the intent and limitations of state law that had been requested by city staff last year.

Completion dates for two road projects pushed back

Mayor Joe Hardy tacitly acknowledged that Boulder City gets, perhaps, more than its fair share of funding from the Regional Transportation Commission, given the city’s size.

Businesses recognized at Chamber awards night

The Boulder City Chamber of Commerce’s annual installation and awards night featured many business owners in town and even had an appearance, albeit an A.I.-generated one, by Audrey Hepburn.

Parallel parking approved

Like so many other things in the world of Boulder City government, the issue of reconfiguring parking in the historic downtown area along Nevada Way, which generated enough heat to cause council members to delay a decision up until the last possible moment, ended with more of a whimper than a bang.

Ways to reduce summer power bills

Now that the thermometer is on the rise outdoors, the cost to cool homes and businesses on the inside is doing the same.

Education news in BC largely positive

In her quarterly report to the city council, Clark County School District Regional Superintendent Deanna Jaskolski was full of positive takes on public schools in Boulder City.

‘It’s in those small moments when you see hope rising’

As Dr. Christina Vela scrolled through her phone, showing photos of girls taking part in various fun activities, for a moment she sounded more like a proud aunt instead of the CEO of St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, and now, its Healing Center.

Jarvis recognized by city council

Salome Jarvis was involved in planning activities for seniors in long-term care before she started doing that in Boulder City. In fact, she helped create the Southern Nevada Activity Professional Association (SNAPA) in the late 1980s.

Park rangers rescue missing hiker, dog at LMNRA

Last week, a 48-year-old male hiker and his dog were rescued by National Park Service rangers at Lake Mead National Recreation Area after a coordinated, multi-agency search.